Carrier for braiding machines



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' WQE. COOK CARRIER FOR BRAIDING MGIINES.

Filed Jan. 5*, 1935 v INVENTOR Egg Patented Mar. 17, 1936 f UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE Claims.

The invention relates to carriers for Abraiding machines, and more ,particularly toV a carrier of the type having a vertically extending spindle for'the reception of the cop.

Carriers of the type to which the invention relates are mounted upon the top plate of a braiding machine, and are moved by a series of gears in a sinuous path about the axis of the plate as determined by cam grooves in the plate. When forming a tubular braid, the carriers move throughout a full circle, but when forming a flat braid, they have movement throughout only a portion of the circle and then their movement is reversed. A plurality of carriers are used upon 15' such braiding machines, and carriers adjacent each intersection of the cam slots closely approach each other, so that in the event of ballooning of the yarn there is likelihood of the yarn from one cop becoming entangled with parts of a closely adjacent carrier, and this likelihood is greatly increased when the wear upon the cam slots, or upon the shoe upon the carrier cooperating therewith, occurs to an extent to permit substantial side sway of the carrier.

25 The in and out movement of the carriers, or

their radial component in relation to the axis of,

the top plate, as they follow the sinuous cam grooves, imparts to the yarn from each cop a necessary oblique trend axially of the top plate because of the lineal traverse of the previously formed braid, or of the material upon which the braid is being formed, the timed radialmovement of succeeding carriers causing the entwining of the yarn after it is Withdrawn from the cops on these carriers in a manner Well known.

A carrier of the type to which the invention relates embodies therein a vertically reciprocatory weight, generally called a traveler, acting in a bight of the yarn between the cop and the lead-olf eye of the carrier. This traveler is provided to take up slack in the yarn during movefment of the carrier toward the axis of the top plate, and to rapidly pay` out yarny with move- .ment of the carrier away from said axis, during which time yarn is drawn from the cop. This is to prevent what is known as whipping of the yarn between the carriers and the braid being formed. In some carriers, tension devices are used to supplement the traveler in preventing whipping, by retarding the run ofthe yarn. v In my (zo-pending application, led September .26, 1934, Serial No. 745,502, I have described a carrier wherein Ythe run of the yarn after leaving the traveler is through the coils of a spring or ,55 ,other collapsible-memberleading from the ltraveler to the lead-off eye of the carrier, and where? in the upright upon which the carrier has move-v ment, is provided with an elongated eye so as to avoid any abrupt bends in the yarn between the cop and the traveler. With rsome windings 5 of cops, this arrangement has proven highly A satisfactory, although with other windings, the angular trend of the yarn inA its'run from the cop to the traveler, will tend to interfere with the uniformity in the tension of the yarn not- 10 withstanding the application of pressure from the retard or brake plate to the periphery of the cop. y

I have found in actual practice that the conditions referred to, results at times in the running of the yarn downwardly from the bottom of the cop, thus creating slack in the yarn, notwithstanding the control of the movement of the cop by the retard or brake member.

By my present invention, I provide in a carrier of the type referred to in my aforesaid application, means whereby the run of the yarn intermediate the cop and the traveler is so con# trolled as to reduce the angle of the run of the yarn as it leaves the cop and as it approaches the traveler while at the same time, limiting the vertical movement of the yarn in the elongated opening through the traveler support. I have found that this construction avoids any tendency of the yarn to escape from the end of the cop and ensures the avoidance of any slack adjacent the cop which would interfere with the uniformity in the tensioning of the yarn essential to the Vformation of a braid Vof uniform dimensions and 'likelihood of breakage of the yarn due 85 to the entanglement of such slack in parts of the carrier.

By the construction of the invention, the angle of approach of the yarn to the traveler is not subject to wide variation irrespective of the por- 40 tion of the cop from which the yarn is .being withdrawn, the greatest range of vertical move-- ment of the yarn being in relation tothe member interposed lbetween the Vcop and the traveler. This construction and mode of voperation Yper- 45 mits a more effective action of the traveler in taking up slack between the carrier and the braid being formed, due in-part to the absence of slack between the traveler and the cop and in part to the limitation of the range of movement of the traveler by the elimination of a varying angle in the approach of the yarn to the traveler in its run from the cop to the traveler.

The invention consists primarily in a carrier `for braiding machines embodying therein a base provided with a vertical spindle adapted to have a cop rotatably mounted thereon, and means whereby travel may be imparted to the carrier, an upright paralleling said spindle having a vertical, elongated opening therethrough for the run of the yarn, and a lead-olf eye adjacent the top thereof, and means for controlling the run of the yarn from the cop and for applying tensioning stresses to the yarn embodying therein a traveler slidably mounted upon said upright for movement toward and from said lead-off eye, about which the yarn passes in its run from said opening to said lead-off eye, a collapsible con-r ning member, one end of which is engageable by said traveler and the other end of which extends to adjacent said lead-,off eye, and a vertically extending guide rod extending parallel to, and closely adjacent, said upright and spaced therefrom to permit the yarn to pass from the cop about said guide and about the cop before passing through said opening; and in such other novel features of construction and combination of parts as are hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawing,

Fig. l is a front elevation of a carrier embodying the invention with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof with parts broken away; v

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the device used for threading the yarn through the carrier.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawing, the carrier has a base I0 provided with parallel flanges II and I2 adapted to embrace the opposite edges of the sinuous cam slot in the top plate of a braiding machine, and a bottom pivot I3 adapted to be engaged by slots upon the actuating gears of the braiding machine.

Carried by said anges is a vertical spindle I4 upon which the core I5 of a cop I6 of' yarn is adapted to be rotatably mounted. The core, as shown in the drawing, is of the headless type, although such head ends may be used if desired. The cop is of the side draw type having a standard oblique winding.

Intermediate the flanges I I and I2 is the usual shoe I'I co-operating with the edges of the cam slot to impart sinuous movement to the carriers. This means imparting travel to the carriers is old and well known in the art.

Carried by the flange I I is an upwardly extending upright paralleling the spindle I4. In the form of the invention shown, this upright is formed of two round rods I8 and I8 spaced apart to forman elongated slot through which the yarn may pass and follow the traveler in its vertical movement in a manner to be hereinafter referred to.

To define the length of the slot in its relation to the movement of the yarn, I vprovide upper and lower stops 2Ilpand 2Iv extending across the space between saidrods, the ends of which do not extend beyond the rods I8 and I9 to an extent to interfere with the free movement of the traveler, particularly as fto its downward mover ment. This is necessary to permit the actuation ofthe automatic stop mechanism commonly used in braiding machines. j v

Surmounting the rods`|8 and I9 is a head tting 22 carrying a lead-off eye 23 in a position intermediate the axes of said rods and at one side thereof. Extending from the head fitting 22 is a small guide rod 24, the lower end of which is secured to the base I0 in any desired manner. To control the run of the yarn from the cop and apply tensioning stresses thereto, I provide means including therein a traveler 25 slidably mounted upon the upright formed by the rods I8 and I9. This traveler is` of the usual construction having a recess 26 at a point intermediate the rods I8 and I9, and shoes 2'I bearing upon the edges ofthe upright and guiding the movement of said traveler.

A collapsible confining member 28, in the form of a coiled spring of light tension, has one end engageable by the traveler, the other end of said member extending to adjacent said lead-off eye 23. This member 28 incloses the guide rod 24, and, as referred to in my aforesaid co-pending application, serves to prevent ballooning of the yarn in its run from the traveler to the lead-of! eye.

The main function of the traveler 25 is to take up slack in the yarn while the carrier is having a component of movement toward the braid being formed, and to feed out yarn while the carrier is having an outward component of movement, and incidentally to assist in drawing yarn from the cop as it is required during such outward movement of the carrier. The spring 28 assists the traveler in both of these functions. 'I'his relieves the yarn from excessive or irregular stresses both in paying out the yarn through the lead-off eye and in drawing yarn from the cop.

In withdrawing yarn therefrom, the cop is turned by successive short impulses and it is desirable to limit the amount of yarn withdrawn to that which can be readily taken up by reciprocatory movement of the traveler so as to avoid the creation of slack between the traveler and the cop. To prevent unrestricted turning movement of the cop, I mount upon the base I0, a rod 29 encircled by a torsion spring 38, one end of which is secured to said rod and the other end of which bears upon a brake plate 3| pivotally mounted upon said rod. l

In the operation of braiding machines, the yarn as it reaches the bottom of the cop, in its vertical run, is liable at times before changing from a downward to an upward movement, to drop` below the bottom of the Winding upon the cop, thus creating excessive slack, which must be taken up by the traveler. As this slack is taken up, the loose yarn below the winding is drawn toward the core of the cop and the spindle I4, and sometimes catches between the core of the cop and the top flange II of the base or the stud 32 projecting therefrom and serving as a support for said core.

The above condition arises from the condition that the yarn, as it is drawn from adjacent the bottom of the cop, approaches the traveler at a wide angle, so that the drag on the yarn from the load of, the traveler is greatly increased.

To obviate this condition, I provide a guide rod 33 extending parallel to, and closely adjacent the uprights I 8 and I9, but spaced therefrom toward the spindle I4 suiiciently to permit the yarn to pass from the cop about said guide and about the cop before passing through the opening in said upright. This guide rod 33 is of substantiallythe same length as the spindle I4, in the embodiment of the invention shown, so as to permit the bight of the yarn inclosing said guide Eapproach of the yarn thereto.

antenas rodv to runvertically .from the top tothe bot, tom of the cop without any substantial variance in the vangle at which the yarn approaches the traveler.. VThis is because the yarn, after being passed about the guide rod 33, is passed about theyarn upon the cop.

., With th'euse of the guide rod 33, the run of the yarn as it passes about said guide rod approaches the rod at an angle which: does not vary greatly from a right angle. When the yarn vis drawn from adjacent the bottom of the copi, the upper .angle at the point of contact with the rod will be obtuse, while when the yarn is drawn from adjacent the'top of the cop, the upper angle at the point of contact with the rod will be acute. In the vertical run of the bight of the yarn about the rod this angle will be constantly changing.

condition, however, has nothing to do with therun of the yarn from the cop to the traveler, since after leaving the rod 33 the yarn passes about the cop, forming a bight having a vertical run along the surface of the cop for a short distance upon opposite sides of the vertical center thereof. Consequently, the angle of approach of the yarn from the cop to the traveler will never be subject to any wide variation.

InFig. '2 of the drawing, I have shown three positions of the bight of the yarn passing about the guide rod 33, one in full lines, one in dotted lines and one in dot and dash lines, the rst being indicated at 34, the second at 35 and the third at 36. I have also shown three positions of the bight of the yarn passing about the cop and leading to the traveler, the first of these being shown at 34a, the second at 35a and the third at 36a, all 'of these positions `being shown by dotted lines. It Will be understood that vertical movement of the traveler will vary the angle of This, however, does notaiiect materially the changingV position of the bight in relation to the cop.

The condition may well be expressed by stating that with the use of a guide rod, the variable angle of approach ofthe yarn to the traveler is reduced b-y the division of this angle, first as a result of the vertical run of the bight 34 of yarn along the guide rod 33, and by the resultant short ve-rtical run of the bight inclosing the cop. Y

The vertical travel of the bight of the yarn inclosing the cop is about the traveler as a fulcrum point, so that the amount of variation of the angle of the yarn as it approaches the trav- ,eler will be slight,

With an ordinary single round eye in the traveler4 upright, the arrangement described would be effective in reducing friction at the eye resulting from the wide variance in the angle of approach of the yarn to the eye from the cop. The elongated slot, however, is particularly advantageous in permitting the free vertical movement of the traveler in takingV up and paying 4out the .yarn during the operation of the braiding machine.

In Fig. of the drawing, I have shown a device for use with the type of carrier herein described in rapidly threading the yarn through the carrier. This device comprises a length of straight Wire 31 having loops 38 and 39 formed at the op-posite ends/thereof. Extending from the loop 38 to the loop' 39 is a flexible strand 40 of a length greater than that of the wire 31 so as to extend Vbeyond the end of the Vwire 31 to an extent to form a closed loop, as indicated in Fig. 5. Y Y

The operation .of the herein described carrier is substantially as follows:-

When mounting a fresh cop upon the spindle I4, the retard or brake plate 3| is moved away from the spindle against the tension of the spring 30, and when the cop is in position, the plate is released so as to permit the spring 30 to develop .the desired pressure .of the* plate against the periphery of the cop. The end of the yarn is then drawn from the cop and passed successively about the guide rod 33 and about the cop I6.

The threader shown inFig. 5 is then passed downwardly through the spring 28 and beyond the traveler`25. The loopportion of the flexible strand v4l] is then passed through the elongated opening in the upright I8-I9, and the end of the yarn is passed through this loop. The operator retains control of the end of the yarn and raises the threader upwardly through the spring 28 and the lead-off eye 23, releasing the end of the yarn toward the end of this movement. In this manner the end of the yarn is brought beyond the lead-off eye and is attached to. the braid being formed, or the object upon which the braid is to be formed, in the usual manner.

The operation of the traveler and the action of the spring 28 upon the traveler and in preventing ballooning of the yarn is described at length in my aforesaid co-pending application, as is the eiiect secured by the use of the elongated opening in the traveler upright. The action of the guide rod 24 is also referred to in said application.

The present invention, in its operation, differs from the structure of said application solely in those respects by which said operation is modied and improved because of the control of the yarn in its run from the cop to the traveler.

When drawing the yarn from toward the top of the cop there is little likelihood of the creation of excess slack in the yarn because the trend of the yarn is away from the end of the cop. When drawing yarn from toward the bottom of the cop, however, with some windings of yarn there is a frequent creation of slack and entangling of the yarn with the carrier parts, resulting in an improper tightening of the braid and breakage of the yarn. 'I'he guide rod 33 correctsthis condition In Fig. 2 of the `drawing, the reach of the yarn forming the bight 34 extends from a point below the top of the cop, and the reach forming the bight 34a about the cop is about midway of the height of the cop and extends downwardly toward and below the traveler 25, which is shown at about its lowermost working position. As the yarn is drawn from the cop, the bight 34 moves down the rod 33 until the point of withdrawal of the yarn is close to the bottom of the` cop, in the position indicated a-t736. It Will be noted that the reach, as it leaves therod33, extends upwardly to a point not greatly below midway of the height of the cop, and that the reach of the yarn from the cop to the traveler still has a downward trend.

With the continued run of the yarn from the cop, the bight 0f the yarn passing about the guide rod 33 moves upwardly of said rod until yarn is beingY drawn from closely adjacent the top of the cop, as indicated by the position 35, and the bight 35a passing about the cop engages same slightly above midway of the height of the cop. When the bight 35a is in this position, the run of the yarn to the traveler still has a decided horizontal trend, as in both the other positions 34a and 36a, there being no great variation in the angle at which the 'lutions yarn runs to the traveler: because of the-fornation of the bight passing aboutrand engagingthe yarn upon the cop. The position of the traveler, of course, will have a material effect upon this angle, but the traveler movement is only momentary. I

When a filled cop is in use, the vertical run of the bight 34 to the positions 35 and 36 will be fairly slow, but when the cop is nearing exhaustion, the rate of travel of said bight will be very much higher. The rate of withdrawal of the yarn from the cop, however, is substantially uniform at all times.

It will be noted that the bights 34a, 35a. and 36a are engaged between the retard or' brake plate 3| and the yarn upon the cop, and outside of the yarn as it is drawn from 'the cop and passing about the guide rod 33. `The reach of the yarn from the cop to the traveler, lthrough the elongated opening in the traveler upright, is tangential to the periphery of the cop, andthe yarn passes through said elongated opening at one side of the rod 33 so that there is no interference between diierent reaches of the yarn adjacent said opening.

By maintaining a substantially uniform angle ofapproach of the yarn to the traveler, the tensioning effect of the traveler 25 and its spring 28 in Vtheir action on the yarn, remains substantially constant, and creation of slack between the traveler and the cop; with downward movement of the former, is substantially prevented. This is desirable because this downward movement of the traveler is relied upon to take up slack between the lead-oir eye kand the braid during movement of the carrier toward the braid, and to avoid whipping of the yarn between the lead-off eye and the braid because of arapid taking up'of such slack. It is obvious that if slack is created below the traveler because of a wide angle of approach of the yarn to the traveler, the taking up of slack to prevent whipping and to properly tension the yarn, will vary according to the portion of the cop from which the yarn is being "drawn at the moment. With the use of the guide rod 33 this is prevented in suiiiciently large measure to avoid the 'difficulties growing out of the above condition.

YThe elongated opening in the traveler upright permits the yarn in its run from the cop to the traveler, to follow the traveleriin its movement, and whatever the position of the traveler may be, the point of departure of the yarn from the cop will always be well above the bottom, or well'below the top, of the cop.

With a construction of carrier as herein shown, the length of the cop, and consequently the amount of yarn thereon, may be greater than is possible with other constructions of carrier, thus permitting an increase in the duration of the run of a braiding machine equipped with such carriers. The carrier may be used with 'cops having a wide range inthe numberof convo-lutions of the spirally wound yarn thereon, the use of the guide rod 33 and the resulting mode of operation of the carrier securing "substantially the same results irrespective of the number of 'such convo- With other constructions of carrier, and even with the carrier described in my aforesaid application, with a large number of convolutions'there was an occasional breakage of the yarn resulting in a stoppage of the machine in order to `tie the yarn. It is understood that the breakage" of the yarn upon one carrier would result in the stoppage lof the machine.

It is-:notJmyntentlon ,to limit the inventiony to fthexprecise details of construction shown in the accompanying drawing, it being apparent that such may be' varied without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what I claim Aas new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is:-

1 1. A carrier for braiding machines embodying therein a base provided with a, vertical spindle adapted to have a cop rotatably mounted thereon, and means whereby travel may be imparted lto the carrier, an upright paralleling said spindle having a vertical, elongated opening therethrough for the run of the yarn, and a lead-off eye adjacent the topthereof, and means for controlling the run of the yarn from the cop and for applying tensioning stresses to the yarn embodying therein a traveler slidably mounted upon said upright for movement toward and from said lead-off eye, about which the yarn passes in its run from said opening to said lead-off eye, a collapsible confining member, one end of which is engageable by said traveler and the other end of which extends to adjacent said lead-off eye, and a vertically extending guide rod extending parallel to, and closely adjacent, said upright and spaced therefrom to permit the yarn to pass from the cop about said guide and about the cop before passing through said opening.

2. A carrier for braiding machines embodying therein a base provided with a vertical spindle adapted to have a cop rotatably mounted thereo-n, and means whereby travel may be imparted tothe carrier, an upright paralleling said spindle having 4a vertical, elongated opening therethrough for the run of the yarn, and a lead-ofi eye adjacent the top thereof, and means for controlling the run of the yarn from the cop and for applying tensioning stresses to the yarn embodying thereina traveler slidably mounted upon said upright-for movement toward and from said lead-off eye,about which the yarn passes in its run from said opening to said lead-ofi eye, a collapsible confining member, one end of which is engageable by said traveler and the other end of which extends to adjacent said lead-off eye, a retard plateadapted to frictionally engage the yarn upon a cop, a spring acting upon said brake to maintain it in constantengagernent with the cop,.and a vertically extending guide rod extending parallel to, and closely adjacent, said upright and spaced therefrom to permit the yarn to pass from the cop about said vguide and about the cop before passing through -said open- 3. -A carrier for braiding-machines embodying therein a base, provided with a vertical spindle adapted to have'a cop rotatably mounted thereon, and means whereby travel may be imparted to the carrier, an upright paralleling said spindle having a vertical, elongated opening therethrough for the run of the yarn, and a lead-olf eye adjacent the top thereof, and means for con'- trolling the run'of the yarnA from'the cop and for applying tensioning stresses to the yarn embodying therein a travelerv slidably mounted upon said upright for movement toward and from said lead-oir eye, about which the yarn .passes in its run from' said opening to said lead-off eye, a coiled spring, one end of which is engageable by said traveler and the other end of which extends to adjacent-.said lead-oir eye, and a vertically ext'endingguide rod extending parallel to, and closely adjacent, said upright and spaced therefrom to permit the yarn to pass from the cop about said guide and about the cop before passing through said opening.

4. A carrier for braiding machines embodying therein a base provided with a vertical spindle adapted to have a cop rotatably mounted thereon, and means whereby travel may be imparted to the carrier, an upright paralleling said spindle having a vertical, elongated opening therethrough for the run of the yarn, and a lead-off eye adjacent the top thereof, and means for controlling the run of the yarn from the cop and for applying tensioning stresses to the yarn embodying therein a traveler slidably mounted upon said upright for movement toward and from said lead-01T eye, about which the yarn passes in its run from said opening to said lead-01T eye, a coiled spring, one end of which is engageable by said traveler and the other end of which extends to adjacent said lead-off eye, a retard plate adapted to frictionally engage the yarn upon a cop, a spring acting upon said brake to maintain it in constant engagement with the cop, and a vertically extending guide rod extending parallel to, and closely adjacent, said upright and spaced therefrom to permit the yarn to pass from the cop about said guide and about the cop before passing through said opening.

5. A carrier for braiding machines embodying therein a base provided with a vertical spindle adapted to have a cop rotatably mounted thereon, and means whereby travel may be imparted to the carrier, an upright paralleling said spindle having a vertical, elongated opening therethrough for the run of the yarn, and a lead-olf eye adjacent the top thereof, and means for controlling the run of the yarn from the copand for applying tensioning stresses to the yarn embodying therein a traveler slidably mounted upon said upright for movement toward and from said lead-01T eye, about which the yarn passes in its run from said opening to said lead-off eye, a coiled spring, one end of which is engageable by said traveler and the other end of which extends to adjacent said lead-oil eye, a retard plate adapted to frictionally engage the yarn upon a cop, a spring acting upon said brake to maintain it'in constant engagement with the cop, and a vertically extending guide rod of relatively greater length than the opening through said upright extending parallel with, and closely adjacent to said upright, and spaced therefrom towards said spindle to permit the yarn to pass from the cop about said guide and about the cop before passing through said opening.

WILLIAM E. COOK. 

